Claimed By The Mafia Rogue King (Snow and Cupid) novel Chapter 19

Snowflakes

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Finished

It was late evening when I arrived at the restaurant. I stepped out of my car, pulled my bag from the seat, and straightened myself. For a brief moment, I looked around, inhaled, and with steady confidence walked into the building.

Earlier today, I had seen it all. The shock on his face, the confusion, the desperation. Ares found himself pinned between a rock and a hard place, and with every fiber of me, I knew he hated the fact that I wanted to work. But that wasn’t the only thing he hated. If he knew I was meeting his mistress today, he would have lost his mind.

Dove had given me Lencia’s contact. Reporters at Sweet Gossip Feed S.G.F. always find a way to extract information; it’s practically their superpower.

As I headed inside, I paused when I noticed the car already parked beside mine. It looked exactly like mine, same vintage build, same expensive model.

Ares bought mine in our second year of marriage. Now, seeing another identical one, I sighed, wondering how long he had kept Lencia by his side. Had he bought two that day? One for me… one for her? Similar gifts. Why would he do that?

I tore my eyes away and entered.

At the corner of the restaurant, Lencia sat alone, already halfway through her meal. As I approached, her shoulders squared, a quiet arrogance settling over her. She didn’t know I have arrived. I wondered how she would react once she learned she was only being used, just a lookalike of the woman Ares truly loved.

I reached the table, and my presence made her look up instantly. Our eyes met. She froze, startled, then pushed her food aside and bowed quickly in greeting.

I sat opposite her, watching her carefully.

“Madam, you asked me to come… and not to tell your husband. Is everything alright?” she asked. Her voice was polite, almost deceptively so. I nearly smiled at the mockery of it.

Without wasting time, I reached into my bag and placed a picture of Viviana in front of her. Lencia paused, recognition flickering across her face. Slowly, she lifted her gaze to mine.

“She’s your lookalike,” I said calmly. “The reason Ares keeps you around is because you resemble her. Viviana.”

Silence fell. Lencia’s expression flickered. Confusion, realization, then a cold roll of her eyes. She leaned back, dabbed her lips with a napkin, and reached for her glass of water. She could

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Chapter 19

tell I already knew about her affair with Ares, so she relaxed, thinking she was no longer threatened.

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“Why did you want to meet?” she asked bluntly. “If you think you can scare me into leaving Ares, don’t waste your breath. He is mine.”

I nearly scoffed. Instead, I placed the divorce papers before her.

When I called her earlier, I wasn’t sure she would come without Ares knowing. But now that I saw her here, alone, I guessed their relationship wasn’t going smoothly today.

She looked down at the papers, frowning.

“A divorce paper?”

“Ares won’t sign it,” I murmured, locking eyes with her. “He’s a trashy man I want to throw away as fast as possible. But like garbage, he clings, trying to leave his scent behind. I don’t want that. So I came to you.”

She stilled, surprised I was trying to rid myself of Ares Bani. My position as his wife was something most women would die for.

“What do you need my help for?”

“To

get him to sign these papers without knowing it.”

“And why should I help you?”

“Because this is what you’ve always wanted,” I said softly, exhausted. “Me out of the way gives you more space in Ares’s head. But I must warn you. Viviana Mooncrest still owns his heart. If you think you can compete with her, I’ll leave the battlefield to you. But I can’t step away without your help. Help me get his signature. Then I’m gone, not your rival anymore. I never wanted to be.”

She went silent, studying me. At last, her gaze dropped to the papers, lingering on the signature line where my attorney’s name sat.

“Kashi Frost,” she whispered. “He’s the best lawyer anyone can get. Will he get the divorce approved in court if I bring Ares’s signature?”

She already knew her fate. Just a toy, a shadow and for a moment, my heart ached for the heartbreak she didn’t see coming. But I had my own shattered heart to mend; I couldn’t pity her for long.

I nodded. She swallowed.

“This week, I’ll get it done and deliver it to you. Deal?”

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“Deal,” I replied, rising to my feet. Without looking back, I walked toward the exit. If everything went smoothly, I would finally be free, maybe even before Christmas.

That thought alone felt like a breath of relief.

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